Practicing Faith

1. Your favorite ways to practice your faith.

a. Starting each day with prayer or meditation.
Starting each day with prayer or meditation is an excellent way to bring peace, harmony, and tranquility.
For people who hold religious beliefs, faith is an essential part of their lives. Strengthening one’s faith, understanding, and reliance on God can ensure that one leads the life expected as a believer, building trust in God rather than any other power or deity. I plan to set aside 10 minutes each morning for these practices before starting a busy day.
Both practices can help me become more,
• self-aware,
• reduce stress,
• calm my thoughts,
• emotions.
Consistently practicing faith has helped me place unwavering confidence in the word of God, and it can prove advantageous in ways; using my time in the prayer room will show how I have practiced faith and achieved amazing testimonies.

b. Using my time in the prayer room.
From my lowest to highest points, I have relied on prayer and the promises of God’s word.
I have realized from my experiences that the gift of worship can do beautiful things. Here is a quick story of how prayer has continuously played a vital role in my family and life. I married my spouse when I had nothing to my name; we have both gone through the most challenging times in our marriage; over time, persistence, hard work, and commitment to our dreams and visions paid off, while living in two separate countries, still married for over seven years, as we continued to pray and trust God for his divine touch.

When it seemed impossible to buy a car, raise money for rent, or switch our child to a new school, we relied on the power of prayer, knowing it would yield results. Through worship, Our Immigration paper was approved in record time, even when the odds were almost impossible. When we conceived our daughter, we prayed daily for her so that she could become the woman God desired her to be and for the vision we saw for her future. We now realize that for every prayer point we gave during those nine months, God has answered them all. She is now five years old and loves God exceptionally, and we have consistently kept our promises and vowed to maintain our family’s legacy.

Sometimes, when we let our guard down, we allow the enemy to crawl into the porous openings of our lives and slowly try to dwell within our thoughts. This then begins to eat through the foundations we have built over time. However, one weapon has kept this marriage steadfast and robust: “That weapon is the gift of prayer.” At a point in my life, I almost went into depression. I had lost the zeal and tenacity to fight through the challenges I faced, and I gradually faded away. But my continued reliance on and trust in prayer was my way out. When I faced job loss or repeated setbacks in the job-hunting process, activating my faith through prayer and fasting led to divine intervention and eventual triumph. This instilled an unwavering trust in a higher power and an undivided reliance upon it for future testimonies.

This solemn moment one spends alone or in a group creates the avenue for the devil to continue to plot to attack one’s most precious soul and attempt to devour it completely. If we continue to pray, a shield, a defense, a boundary forms over us to prevent the darkness of this world from dwelling around us.
Believers recognize that faith is essential to overcoming obstacles and remaining steadfast and grounded. Faith is a powerful weapon. These experiences show how my faith has evolved.

c. Expressing your faith is integral to your identity.
Embody the values and principles you hold dear, conduct yourself with the utmost integrity, and ensure that your actions align with your beliefs. This will enable you to lead a life of authenticity, even when not under scrutiny. I have always shared with my friends how my progress has been nothing but the grace of God Through prayer and steadfastness in the presence of God. Always committed to the word of God and remembering that I am nothing without Him, confessing my sins and always in reverence.

My deep and enduring relationship with God solidifies my belief in His Son, who died for my sins and those of the world. This belief guides my integrity and trust in God.” and that he died for my sins and that of the world as a whole; this is how I conduct my integrity in my trust in God. No matter my shortcomings, I am quick to show others that I am nothing without God and that my entire existence is on him; so much as I want to be that superhero daddy, my daughter sees me as my reliance on God 365 days a year is unwavering.

d. Acts of service through faith.
Volunteering time and resources to support causes you are enthusiastic about or assist those in need can be incredibly fulfilling. Additionally, emphasizing active listening and empathy strongly reflects open-mindedness and commitment to treating others with compassion and respect. The consistent pursuit of knowledge and understanding in faith is essential to growth and development. As the biblical adage goes, remaining open to learning can deepen one’s knowledge of faith and its significance in life.

On 03/23/2024, I attended a movie gathering at church, connecting with people I did not know personally—a new experience. When the movie hall was set up, I walked with the bishop, and my eyes caught the baptism pool. It had been neglected, and I offered to clean and wash the pool. I must have professionally cleaned the pool; I could tell from the silent nods between the choir members. I relay this story because I had no idea that the individual who usually washes this pool is well into his sixties. Oh, mine. How meaningful can I express acts of service in this context? It is beautiful to render service, mainly when that small voice within you has led your thoughts into action.

e. Humility is a crucial component of faith.
This quality allows me to receive wisdom and guidance from God and others, maintaining a genuine and meaningful relationship with God. Ultimately, living out His love in daily life is a fundamental aspect of faith, upheld in all areas of personal and professional life.

Regular Bible study and meditation on scripture can allow God’s Word to shape your thoughts and actions. In 2008, I was in a personal spiritual building session, praying and asking God to impact the character of humility in me. After that fasting and prayer week, I meditated in the University Garden. On my way, I met a brother, and we exchanged pleasantries; while I was about to leave, he told me, Brother Martin, I want you to know one thing I admire about you. I asked what this could be. He said you are humble, and I would like to emulate your character.

I relate to this story because sometimes we do not see what our character teaches and preaches to people around us. But in this instance, a brother confirmed that God had answered my prayers for the gift of humility. Humility is a crucial component of faith, which we must all embrace.

2. Why are these practices so meaningful to you?
   • Engaging in the practice of faith provides an opportunity to cultivate a connection with the divine and his holy scripture.
   • This connection positively impacts me through a range of practices, including maintaining proximity to the sacred, sharing individual experiences, spending time with fellow believers, dedicating myself to prayer throughout the day, and supplicating for the enlightenment of others.
   • Practicing faith constitutes a response to Jesus’ request to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38). It can bring one closer to God while positively impacting those around them.

3. What do those practices mean to you?
   • Starting each day with prayer or meditation means engaging with God while trusting his word. One way to exercise faith is to spend time in the prayer room. This will give me an advantage over the adversary, giving me the power and ability to disarm the enemy.
   • It means that I have the promise to answer prayers regardless of the challenges I might face. Practicing and spending time with people expressing faith is integral to my identity, allowing me to conduct myself with the utmost integrity.
   • Acts of service are one way I express my faith. My commitment to treating others with compassion and respect is a fulfilling aspect of my life.
   • It means that someone will be either happier than when I met them or at least blessed by my words of faith in their challenges.

In conclusion, starting each day with prayer or meditation is an excellent way to bring peace, harmony, and tranquility to my faith. Believers recognize that faith is essential to overcoming obstacles and remaining steadfast and grounded, which shows how powerful it is.
My progress in life has been nothing but the grace of God, through prayer and steadfastness in God’s presence. God promises to answer prayers regardless of the challenges we face. Practicing and spending time with people who express their faith is integral, as it helps me conduct myself honestly.
Through these practices, the growth and understanding I have achieved through engaging in faith provides an opportunity to cultivate a connection with the divine and his holy scripture. This quality allows me to receive wisdom and guidance from God and others, maintaining a genuine and meaningful relationship with God.